Agrium Inc (AGU): Today's Featured Chemicals Laggard

Agrium was a leading decliner within the chemicals industry, falling $1.11 (-1.1%) to $100.14 on light volume.

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model.

Agrium ( AGU) pushed the Chemicals industry lower today making it today's featured Chemicals laggard. The industry as a whole closed the day up 0.2%. By the end of trading, Agrium fell $1.11 (-1.1%) to $100.14 on light volume. Throughout the day, 616,172 shares of Agrium exchanged hands as compared to its average daily volume of one million shares. The stock ranged in price between $99.43-$101.32 after having opened the day at $101.09 as compared to the previous trading day's close of $101.25. Other companies within the Chemicals industry that declined today were: Ceres ( CERE), down 10.1%, Altair Nanotechnologies ( ALTI), down 9.3%, Lightbridge ( LTBR), down 7.8%, and Sociedad Quimica Y Minera De Chile ( SQM), down 5%.

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Agrium Inc. engages in the retail of agricultural products and services worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Retail, Wholesale, and Advanced Technologies. Agrium has a market cap of $15.12 billion and is part of the basic materials sector. The company has a P/E ratio of 10.9, below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7. Shares are up 50.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Tuesday. Currently there are 15 analysts that rate Agrium a buy, one analyst rates it a sell, and six rate it a hold.

TheStreet Ratings rates Agrium as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its solid stock price performance, largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and reasonable valuation levels. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.